
Iran
1st in FIFA World Cup Qualifying - AFC2023 Fixtures







After matchday eight of Asia's World Cup qualifiers, ESPN's writers answer the burning questions, provide analysis and break down the biggest performances across the continent.
VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF IRAN AND UZBEKISTAN DRAWING 2-2 IN THE THIRD ROUND OF ASIAN QUALIFYING FOR THE 2026 WORLD CUP

Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup after Mehdi Taremi scored twice in a 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Who will win the 2026 World Cup? A team stacked with talent, surely. We've devised a way to rank countries by the talent in their squads.
VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF IRAN BEATING THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 2-0 IN SOCCER WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has offered "heartfelt gratitude" to Iranian authorities for allowing tens of thousands of female fans to attend a top-flight soccer match between Sepahan and Persepolis this week.

France brushed off allegations of match-fixing after their 4-1 defeat by Iran sent them into a softer part of the draw at the Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.

From the Japanese juggernaut to numerical deficits not mattering, here's what we learnt from the third round of Asian qualifiers.

There is plenty to look forward to as the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup begins on Thursday.

18 teams are still in the hunt to reach the World Cup as the third round of Asian qualifiers kick off on Thursday.
WCQ - AFC Table
# | TEAM | GP | GD | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Iran | 8 | +9 | 20 |
2 | Uzbekistan | 8 | +4 | 17 |
3 | United Arab Emira.. | 8 | +7 | 13 |
4 | Qatar | 8 | -5 | 10 |
5 | Kyrgyz Republic | 8 | -6 | 6 |
6 | North Korea | 8 | -9 | 2 |
Team Leaders
Top Scorers
# | Player | Goals | M | A |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mehdi Taremi | 9 | 13 | 6 | |
Sardar Azmoun | 8 | 13 | 5 | |
Mohammad Moheb.. | 5 | 9 | 1 |
Top Assists
# | Player | Assists | M | G |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mehdi Taremi | 6 | 13 | 9 | |
Sardar Azmoun | 5 | 13 | 8 | |
Saman Ghoddos | 2 | 11 | 0 |